San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-18
PRACTICAL COOPERATION.
How the Knights of Labor can Give
Homes and Work to Our Citizens.

How the Knights of Labor Can Give
Homes and Work to Our Citizens.
Livery wOrkingman in this city,"
said a prominent citizen to LIGHT re-
porter, fought to own his own house and
lott not only as a means OF economy In
the present, but rs wise provision for
the future, and IL the cooperative plan
detailed hereafter Is adopted, he can do
SO without material deprivations. This
plan Is no new or chimerioal one. 1t
has been tried and successfully worked
sewhere, and can be done so here.
The plan is thus: Let $50 citizens bind
themselves into chartered co-opera-
tive building ASSOCIATION, elect good Of
flcers and eight directors Let each
member agree to subscribe to the COM
mon fund the sum Of 81 weekly, In con-
sideratiOn of which he shall be entitled
to an advance, under certain conditions,
Of $1,000, free of all interest, 10 be used
for the purchase of land, or OF house and
lot; said purchases to be approved OF by
the directorate to prevent Imposition.
This $1,000 will buy a good wOrkman's
homestead, or If he wants finer house,
Ii will buy him good lot, on which be
can easily build on time payments.
The $50 members paying So in weekly
will place 81 900 in the treasury every
two weeks and that being ready for ap-
preparation, a fair and square ballot
shall be publicly taken, and the lucky
member shall be entitled to the advance.
The property shall be purchased by aud
held in the name Of the association until
the nominee shall have concluded pay
ing his or her subscription to the series,
and all claims are paid upon 1t, then
the association shall deed the property
to the member; In the meantime he will
occupy the property as his own. No
member having got one appropriation,
all be is entitled to or pays for, will be
allowed to participate In any further
ballots of that series. Every two weeks
there should be 81, 600 in the treasury,
and then further ballots will take place
and the amounts appropriated until each
and every member has had his thousand
dollar appropriation. Thus in less than
ten years, every member of the series
will have his 5, 600 homestead, or addi-
tional property to that value, which per-
haps he would never have had, and the
association, by erecting SO many houses,
will give work to the members, spread
ing capital, an equivalent to $4,000
every year, among the merchants In
way that ell derive benefit. The best
part Of the plan is, it lie no lottery
scheme. Every man gets his thousand
dollars worth the only difference Ia that
chance gives to some their apprOpria-
tion In the first year, and 9TH
ers must wait even till the last
until they get it, but 1t will come.
or course as no interest is charged on
the advances, the legal fees, ETC., must
be paid out of such appropriations, or
personally by the members, and the
working expense must be provided for.
The latter could be done by an assess
ment of % cents monthly per member,
and would be ample, but even this
could be reduced by voluntary labor. Ii
the number of members or the subscrip-
ton named Is too large or small II could
be reduced or increased, but the princi-
pie is the same. 1t would not differ
materially from other building assOcia-
lions except in this, that instead Of be-
ing money making concern 1t would be
of mutual advantage to the members
The Knights OF Labor would do well
for the order, and for the citizens gen.
orally. If they would organize an asso-
citation here outlined, and there are men
In the city acquainted with the workings
of the plan who would become members
and give their experience In organizing
the association and formulating the plan.
Let them try it and they will find it the
best move the order has made in the
city.